In Your Life
by shannyfish
Summary: Life continues for Felicity & Oliver and the rest of Team Arrow. Things are going well, but secrets threaten to pull everyone's happiness apart. Picks up about five months after the final chapter of "In Truth".
1. Morning Disruptions

_"And smiles turn into laughs_

_and laughs turn into kisses-_

_and before you know it,_

_the days turn into weeks-_

_and the weeks turn into months._

_And you'll find yourself _

_forgetting what it was like _

_before they were in your life."_

_~ j.a._

. . .

Her laughter filled the dim room. She'd been woken up in the most delightful way possible. Oliver already had her feeling fully relaxed, relaxed enough that she felt like they should just spend the whole day naked in bed together. Felicity had her ear against his chest as he ran his fingers through her hair. Legs intertwined and sheets covered them here and there. Married life had been good, Felicity had thought, for both of them. Some things had changed, but a lot of things hadn't. Their little family was closer than ever and Felicity didn't think she'd ever been so happy before, though things with Moira still weren't where they should be.

"Can we talk?"

His voice sounded serious and so Felicity's face turned serious as she lifted it from his chest to look at him. Felicity noticed that he didn't look stern or upset or anything like that, he seemed happy…content even. Felicity prompted her head up, so that she was staring at him and though him sounding so serious brought her a little unease…there was something that felt so good about being open. It was really the only way things could work between the two of them.

"Of course we can talk," Felicity told him quietly.

Oliver smiled at her and brushed his fingers along her cheek. "Don't make that face… It's not a bad thing… At least, I don't think of it that way…"

"Okay," she said quietly and just waited.

They'd been married for months now and things had been good. It hadn't been perfect, of course, they'd fought…but that normally was because of Arrow business. Okay, so all of their arguing had been because of Arrow stuff, but that wasn't unusual as far as Felicity was concerned. Everyone had their problems and they were a couple that tended to spend so much time together that they were going to break somewhere.

"The other day…I was thinking…" Oliver said slowly and quietly, his eyes on hers. "We never discussed having kids…"

Felicity's eyes widened for a moment.

Kids.

She and Oliver.

Moira and Malcolm no doubt had had a plan in place before, but with all of that forgotten…she really hadn't thought much about it. They'd enjoyed a very brief honeymoon and had hardly left the hotel room during that time. When they had come back to Starling City, it had been right back to business. Queen International and Team Arrow. That had been their lives. They, of course, spent time with their family…but they really hadn't talked a lot about things like kids… Buying another bookshelf had come up though…

Bookshelves were important.

"I…" Felicity tried to put together a sentence, but it really wasn't coming out right. "I…I guess I haven't really thought about it," she told him honestly. The last couple of years, her life had changed drastically than she'd ever thought it would have to be. Felicity wasn't complaining, but that meant that she didn't think of things like having a baby or getting a dog. It wasn't that she'd never thought about it…she had… Their lives were complicated and dangerous. "I mean, I want a baby…eventually…I don't know when…" She paused for a moment. "Can we do that, Oliver? Can we have that kind of a family? Kids?"

Oliver grabbed her hands and brought them up to his face and then kissed them as he stared at her. "You've shown me we can."

"You're the ARROW, Oliver," Felicity reminded as she stared at him.

In truth, Felicity couldn't even FATHOM life without the Arrow or Team Arrow. They were needed, necessary even. What would happen to Starling City without them? She also couldn't see Oliver hanging up his hood so easily. She didn't think SHE could leave that life behind so easily, either. Team Arrow had become so much to so many of them…

It had made life interesting.

Without it, she likely would have never met Oliver.

They would have never been married.

She'd be home alone in her townhouse watching 'Robin Hood' and eating mint chocolate chip ice cream. Felicity couldn't think of returning to a life in IT at Queen Consolidated. It wasn't that she was above it, she just couldn't go back to how dreary and boring her life once was…

"We can figure out how to make it work," Oliver told her. "As long as we work together, right?" He kissed her hands again. "We can do ANYTHING, Felicity… Anything."

She knew he was right.

Her mind started to whirl at that thought. They really could do anything when they worked together. They had their own chosen family and when they ALL worked together, they really could do anything. Felicity bit her bottom lip for a moment and then leaned in and kissed him. It was a quick kiss, but it seemed to break the stun she had been experiencing. "You know…it takes a village to raise a child…"

Oliver laughed. "I think we have one of those."

"We do," she agreed with a smile and then kissed him again.

"I just… I'm not saying we should have a baby RIGHT now, I just… I wanted to discuss it. For you and I to think about it," Oliver explained. He just beamed at her. "It's been a really long time since I've even thought about being a father… When I was younger, the thought terrified me…and who am I kidding? It STILL terrifies me, but I KNOW that you and I can do it together… I can see a future with you…us and children… A little girl who looks just like her mother…"

He dropped her hands and they moved into her hair. Fingers ran through her wavy blonde strands while he pulled her in for a kiss. It was so nice to think of. A life with Oliver…a happy one…kids that looked like them running around.

Happiness.

It really wasn't unthinkable.

For the first time, in a very long time…that kind of happiness seemed like it was within their reach. She held onto him and forgot the world around them. Even if they'd not exactly decided on their future as far as children went, it was a step. They were taking steps TOWARDS that future and they were doing it together. They were also keeping their promises about talking about things. They weren't keeping secrets from each other.

The sudden and almost alarming sound of the doorbell interrupted their morning bliss and Felicity froze before turning to look at the red digital readout of the alarm clock at their bedside. "Oh my—"

"It's okay," Oliver said quickly and all too calmly as his hands ran down her arms.

"Oliver, this is the morning that we're supposed to have breakfast and Diggle and—" His kiss cut her off. Her mind spun as she thought about the time and how she hadn't showered or dressed or anything. Everyone was at the door and they had no coffee or breakfast made. Today was their day to make breakfast for everyone.

They had failed.

"Get in the shower, I'll take care of them," Oliver told her as he started to get out of bed.

Felicity let out a whimper as the warmth of his body, his skin pressing against hers, and his touches left hers. "Oliver, you can't just send them away—"

"I'm not," he promised as he leaned down and gave her another quick kiss. "Now, get into the shower…"

He was throwing on clothes and yelling at the door as she hurried to the bathroom and the shower. Felicity knew that Oliver was going to take things and distract people, but she still felt quite rushed. She hated being rushed, especially when it came to getting ready. Her hair did weird things when she was rushed. It had taken her months to the point where she could shower by herself, but the only reason she could was because Oliver was still nearby. For a long time, he'd just sit in the bathroom and then slowly he sat outside the bathroom door and then eventually…it was okay as long as she knew he was there. Though, Felicity knew that wasn't entirely true. Her hands shook and her heart still raced, panic seemed to be at the edges of her being…ready to take over if she felt any form of anxiety.

. . .

Felicity had hurried through her shower and had dressed, but she'd been able to hear everyone which had just made her stress all the more. She hated to run late, but at the same time…she couldn't complain. Her morning had been certainly eventful…and enjoyable. It was a special combo. Felicity had put on a bright pink dress with matching heels and then had just decided it was going to be easier to pin her hair up into a bun. It was still wet, but it would dry soon enough and hopefully it wouldn't frizz or do anything too special since she'd sprayed it. Make-up at least didn't take her long. Popping her glasses back into place, she left the bedroom.

There was a knock at the door when she emerged and Roy was already getting it. Apparently a delivery of coffees and bagels were what was for breakfast that morning. She watched as Roy and Thea moved everything to the kitchen. Felicity found Oliver lounging on the couch, Diggle at the other end of it with Sara in his lap. Tommy was sitting in one of the chairs off to the side.

"There she is," Tommy announced with a smile when he spotted her.

Felicity returned the smile. "Sorry we're running behind."

"I figured Oliver was to blame," Sara spoke up.

Oliver just smiled and shook his head. Felicity dropped down into his lap and then kissed him. "Your turn."

"Make sure Roy doesn't eat all of the bagels," Oliver instructed quite seriously before he broke out into a beaming smile. He kissed her a moment later.

"Why is there always so much kissing whenever we're here?" Roy complained. "If it's not you two…then it's Sara and—"

"You kiss Thea," Sara defended quickly.

"Not normally in front of you."

"And we thank you for that," Oliver said as he moved Felicity into his spot as he got up from the couch. He and Tommy exchanged smirks before heading to their room.

Felicity took the cup that Thea handed to her. She checked the cup and then smiled. Oliver had ordered everyone the correct type of coffee, each one was personalized and not just with their names. "Thank you," she said before taking a sip of her coffee.

"So," Thea said as she continued to pass out coffees. "Do we get to know the REAL reason why this morning got derailed?"

"I really don't want to know," Roy mumbled.

Diggle just laughed.

"The…alarm clock didn't sound," Felicity lied…badly. She sipped her coffee for a long moment to try to hide her face as blush rose in her cheeks.

Tommy seemed to save her from any further questions about her late start morning when he spoke up. "I'm just reminding everyone that tonight is the dinner with Melanie."

"I still can't believe that you're letting my mom host it," Thea half complained.

"I thought it was nice."

Thea made a face. "It IS, but it's just…most of us have been keeping our distances…"

"She came into Queen International the other day," Felicity told Thea. "She comes by once a week to have lunch."

"With all of you?"

Felicity nodded. "We can't just all hate her… That's not going to get us anywhere…" She paused for a thoughtful moment. "Plus, I'm pretty sure that's bad karma."

"She's trying," Tommy spoke up.

"Why do we have to dress up?" Thea questioned.

"Probably because your mom commands it."

Felicity wasn't too thrilled about the dinner being at the mansion, but at the same time…they really did need to mend fences. Moira was still Thea and Oliver's mother…and her mother-in-law. She was trying and they had to try too. Like Thea, Felicity wasn't excited about the whole dressing up bit to it. It wasn't just looking nice, it was floor length dresses. She didn't know why that was so necessary for a dinner. "It'll be fun," she spoke up and tried to be hopeful. She didn't miss the confused and almost disturbed face that Roy made.

"Are you sure you want us all there?" Diggle asked.

Tommy nodded. "We're a family…I want my family to meet Melanie…and Clarke…"

"Clarke?" Thea and Felicity asked in unison.

Felicity watched as Tommy clearly tried to form the correct words to string into a sentence. It wasn't like Tommy to lie, especially to her and Thea. He'd been so happy, though, since Melanie Walsh had come into his life. She'd actually thought about doing a full background check…well, one that was more extensive than the normal kind. She'd held off though since there just didn't seem to be any problems. They'd done the double lunch date thing here and there and though Felicity didn't feel like best friends with Melanie…she'd always felt like she was a nice person and could see them being friends. She could also see Melanie as Tommy's wife. He really deserved to be happy, she thought as she stared at him as she and Thea (and likely everyone else in the room) waited for an explanation.

"What did I miss?" Oliver asked as he walked through the living room and towards where his coffee and the bagels were sitting. "And why isn't anyone eating?"

"Tommy was just about to explain who Clarke is," Thea spoke up.

"Who's Clarke?" Oliver questioned as he turned to look towards Tommy.

"Clarke Walsh," Tommy filled them in. "She's Melanie's daughter. She's six. She's a good kid. Likes to wear sparkly shoes."

Melanie had a child.

Why hadn't Tommy told them earlier? It didn't make sense to Felicity, but then she realized. Between the lot of them, they didn't have a lot of secrets or private moments. It just seemed odd to her, but it was Tommy's life and she knew that the thing they needed to be most concerned was was that he was happy and that he was okay. Tommy Merlyn was a different man than he'd been a decade ago or even two years before. He'd died and had been resurrected. He had two half sisters now that he'd never known about growing up. There was a lot to being Tommy Merlyn.

"I didn't tell you about Clarke because I didn't want judgement and I—" Tommy paused for a moment, his eyes were on all of them. He wasn't upset, but he wasn't thrilled either. "I wanted to know for SURE that Melanie and I were serious before bringing up Clarke."

"You're REALLY serious about her, aren't you?" Felicity whispered. She wasn't surprised, but maybe it was just something that needed to be said.

"I AM," Tommy confirmed. "I've actually thought about asking her to marry me…"

"Another proposal!" Sara announced and then smacked Diggle. "Slacking!" she teased with a laugh.

Oliver came and joined her on the couch. "You know we're happy for you, if you're happy, Tommy. No matter if that means that I get an instant niece." He smiled at Tommy and it reminded Felicity of how happy she was that Oliver and Tommy had become friends again. Oliver had been different since Tommy had been back…it was for the better. They really just supported each other and that's what they needed to do in this instance. They needed to support Tommy.

"Wow…I just thought about how awkward that will be," Thea spoke up.

"Why?" Roy asked.

"Because Thea and Felicity can't be public about being Tommy's sisters," Oliver said matter of factly.

Tommy nodded slowly for a moment. "But I figure that she'll realize how close we all are and it'll sort of explain WHY we ARE as close as we are. She'll understand in a way, how our family works."

Felicity felt sad all of the sudden. She had known for some time that she couldn't publicly be Tommy's sister. In fact, she'd made that decision clear when Merlyn wanted her to take the Merlyn surname back on the boat. It was still hard, though. Melanie would be part of their family and they wouldn't be able to tell her the truth. Felicity just hoped that all of the secrets they had to keep wouldn't make Tommy and Melanie's relationship more difficult. He'd obviously have to keep normal hours, which meant no more helping out in the Foundry. It was selfish, but Felicity liked those times. She liked to think of it as her chance to make Tommy a little more educated in her field. Only a little, though.

"Congrats, Man," Diggle spoke up.

Felicity stared down at her coffee cup for a moment and it hit her. She felt like she was losing Tommy. She knew that that was stupid because she wasn't. It was just that she'd just gotten Tommy…she hadn't grown up with him. Now, things were changing. Felicity just didn't want to lose her brother that she'd grown so fond of. It was hard, but Felicity knew that she really wasn't going to lose him. It was just going to take time to convince herself of that. "Don't worry," Felicity finally spoke up. "We'll be on our best behavior."

"Why is everyone looking at us?" Thea exclaimed.

There was laughter and Felicity suddenly realized that she was the only one NOT focusing on Roy and Thea. She'd lost herself in that moment. She'd just have to make sure that she worked to ensure that the evening went smoothly, which meant no bumps with Moira. So far, they'd seemed okay since the wedding. That didn't mean anything though. She hated to be doubtful or suspicious because it seemed paranoid, but Felicity felt like she could NEVER fully trust Moira. At any moment, she could change her mind and Felicity could be her target again.

"Because you two are normally the ones who start stuff," Sara explained.

"Not true!"

Tommy laughed. "I think it might be a little true…"

"Don't even start with a story from when we were little!" Thea shouted at Tommy, there was a smile on her face as she shook her head.

Everyone laughed at that.

Tommy and Oliver seemed to bring up when the three of them were little a lot now. Sara had even shared a few stories. Sometimes it made Felicity feel more connected to that time that she never had and other times it made her feel farther away. Today, though, for some reason she was feeling overly emotional. She didn't know why.

"I'll be right back," she whispered to Oliver before setting her coffee down and heading into the bedroom.

Felicity closed the door to the bedroom softly, her hand against the door. She took a moment to breathe and to try to keep herself from crying. If she cried, make-up was going to run everywhere…and not only was she going to have to fix her face, but she was also going to have to calm herself and clean her glasses. She moved to the bathroom just as the tears started to fall. Felicity looked at her reflection just long enough before giving in to the sobs that racked her chest. She pushed the door shut, but didn't hear it click. She didn't care, the door was close enough to being closed. Her back hit the wall and she slid down until she was sitting on the floor.

What was wrong with her?

Felicity set her glasses aside and grabbed a tissue to wipe tears away. Maybe she needed more sleep or maybe she was getting sick or…or maybe a hundred other things. She didn't feel like she was really upset because of Tommy. It made her a little sad, but that wasn't the reason. Not the REAL reason.

She didn't know it.

There was a soft knock on the door after some time. "Felicity?" Sara called.

Sniffling, she tried to dry her tears and knew that she had to look red and possibly puffy. She supposed that it was better than Oliver walking in. He'd worry over her all day if he had found her like that. "Yeah? I'm okay," she whispered.

"Can I come in?"

Felicity let out a shaky breath and then a sigh. She rubbed her forehead. "Yeah." She looked up as Sara opened the door and peeked in.

"Hey, what's wrong?"

She was half surprised that it wasn't Thea, but then she normally got caught up in conversations with Tommy and Oliver or just with Roy. She was far more observant with less people around, though Felicity liked to think that she'd hidden her upset well until she'd gotten to the bedroom. "Nothing," she lied. Her voice was shaking and she shook her head. "I—I don't know… I'm crying for no reason, I guess…"

"Oh Felicity," Sara said and sat down next to her. She wrapped an arm around Felicity and gave her a quick squeeze. "There's a reason…maybe you just need to think a little more…"

Felicity laughed lightly as she pushed away more tears. "All I can think is how I feel like I'm losing Tommy, but that's not why I'm crying…"

"He's not going anywhere," Sara reminded. "You get to see him AND Oliver EVERY single day. Whether you like it or not, it's now your job to keep those two in line."

She laughed again. Felicity nodded and wished that she knew why she felt so emotionally out of control. "I probably just need more sleep…"

"You should take a half day," Sara suggested.

Felicity smiled and looked at her. "That's so tempting, but there's so much to do at Queen International before dinner tonight…"

"Well, then give yourself a break… Leave a little early… You and I can come back here and get ready without feeling hurried. At least that'll be a little less weight."

"I guess—"

"Felicity? Sara?" Oliver called quietly. He was at the doorway to the bathroom a moment later. "Everything okay?"

Felicity looked to Sara, before they both looked back to Oliver. How did they explain this? She didn't want him to worry. It would be a whole day of him worrying and wanting to ask questions, but not. Felicity knew that he wouldn't push unless he felt like it was necessary.

"Yeah…just cramps," Sara explained like it was nothing. It was also a lie. "You know, hormones… I'm just going to head out," she said as she got at her feet and then looked back at Felicity. "I'll stop and get you some Pamprin, so you can make it through the day." Sara turned to Oliver as she passed him. "I was just telling Felicity that she and I should leave a little early today, so we'd have a little extra time to get ready for tonight."

"I think that would be a good idea," Oliver said as he looked between them. "You work too much anyways…"

"I'll see you guys there," Sara said before disappearing.

Felicity got to her feet, grabbing her glasses, and moving to the mirror to see the damage. She smiled and let out a light laugh. "Let's face it. You're the one who works the most…"

"It's not the same kind of work that you do," Oliver told her as he walked up behind her. She stared at their reflection in the mirror. "The Arrow stuff… It's almost muscle memory…but everything with the company… You know, I'm just not as qualified as you are. You do so well with all of that. If I didn't have you, I'd be lost and the company would be gone…"

She took a minute to touch up her make-up, it wasn't as bad as she'd imagined before she finally turned to face him. "You're doing just fine… Walter's really the one—"

His fingers lifted her chin until their eyes met. "YOU, Felicity, are the reason why Queen Consolidated lives on in Queen International. If it wasn't for you…everything would have crumbled by now. If it wasn't for you…maybe I wouldn't have you or Tommy or Thea…"

Her eyes started to glaze over again, but she told herself that she wouldn't cry. Felicity nodded and found his lips on hers. She knew all of that. She did. It was just that she always felt like she didn't do enough. Now she had training, she could go out into the field and help…but she hadn't so much in the past couple of months. It wasn't that she didn't want to, she just hadn't. She'd been needed more in the Foundry.

"I love you," Oliver reminded.

Felicity smiled and kept the tears at bay. "I love you, too."

"If you need to—"

"No, we're going," she insisted as she put her glasses back on. Felicity grabbed his hand and pulled him with her. "Let's go… I'm determined to break a record and to make it through a year with you EARLY to work EVERY single day."

Oliver laughed.

. . .

TBC…


	2. Girl Talk

"You know you don't HAVE to watch the clock," Felicity said as she went through her e-mails again. She knew exactly what time it was and they had five minutes until the time they'd agreed that they'd leave Queen International. Sara, apparently, was determined to leave right on time. Felicity had attended to all of the other company work and really…checking the e-mail was a filler for her. She didn't need to do it.

Sara smirked. "I have an alarm set."

Felicity let out a little laugh and pushed her glasses up on the bridge of her nose. "So do I," she told Sara. As much as she didn't want to go early because it wasn't like Oliver or Tommy were leaving early, but at the same time…she did want that extra time at home to get ready.

"If we left the office now…by the time the alarm goes off, we'd be down in the parking garage."

So tempting.

Maybe it was that she felt more responsible now or maybe it was just because she felt guilty already leaving early, but Felicity couldn't bring herself to even leave a second early. "Just a couple more e-mails."

"You could check those from your phone."

She was right.

Felicity sighed. "I just—"

"Tommy and Oliver aren't going to be mad if you leave a couple minutes earlier than we had planned," Sara told her. "And if they are, you can blame me… They'd believe it. Plus, it's true."

Felicity smiled at that. That was a truth for sure. "Fine," she finally conceded. "But what about your dress?"

"Don't worry," Sara told her. "I'm driving…and I have a plan."

She knew better than to argue with Sara, especially when she had a plan. She was a good friend and Felicity was happy that they had become friends. At first, Felicity remembered that Sara had been a person that Felicity felt like would be a lot like Laurel. Sara would be this gorgeous, strong woman, that had this past with Oliver…and a connection… But Sara was more than all of that and she definitely wasn't like Laurel. She wasn't toxic when it came to Oliver, which was one of the reasons why she thought that Laurel was going to do better in Central City…at least she hoped so, she felt like she needed to move beyond all of the bad stuff in their pasts. Oliver had shown Sara how to live again. They all had. Sara had taught Felicity to be stronger…and had shown her that she WAS a valuable part of the team even before she could defend herself.

There was definitely a sisterly relationship between the two of them, but it was different than her relationship with Thea. Maybe it was because Sara had been a part of Team Arrow and that's where their friendship had started… Whatever it was, Felicity was glad that they were close. She didn't think that she'd be able to function if it wasn't for all the support.

"I even have discussion topics picked out," Sara told her.

Amused, Felicity got up from her chair and pulled on her coat. She grabbed her purse and walked over to where Sara was now standing. Holding out her hand, she gave her car keys to Sara. Diggle and Oliver would be following in a while, Diggle would be driving Oliver home. So, at least she didn't have to worry about that. "What kind of topics?"

"Oh, all kinds," Sara responded as they headed towards the elevator. "I have to make sure that I'm up to date on all the family drama… You know, figure out where we stand on things… Gossip maybe…"

"Gossip?" she asked even more amused now.

Sara shrugged with a smirk. "We could probably figure out something…"

. . .

"What are our thoughts about Tommy?"

"I'm happy for him, of course," Felicity responded quickly. She took a moment to think about the rest of her response. "Melanie seems nice, though now I'm wondering if I should have dug into her background a little…" She had been tempted before, but she hadn't wanted to taint how happy Tommy was. He deserved to be happy…and he deserved to live a relationship without people looking into things behind his back.

Sara smirked. "I'm actually a little surprised you hadn't."

"There just didn't seem to be a need."

"She has a kid."

Felicity shrugged. "I think Tommy would be good with a kid."

"You're right… He and Oliver were kids for so long…"

"You mean like most of their lives?" she teased. Okay, so it was sort of the truth. It really wasn't until recently (the last couple of years) that either one of them had to really be serious about life.

"Pretty much."

Tommy and Oliver could be extremely serious, but they still could could trouble like ten year old boys in a heart beat. It was good though. Having Tommy back, it had changed Oliver. She'd seen it more and more over the last couple of months. They both needed it. They allowed each other to have fun and be a little silly. It was a good change for both of them. It kept them from being too serious about themselves and life in general.

"Well, we'll see how things go tonight," Sara spoke up. "Though, I wouldn't be surprised if Tommy's the next one married…"

Felicity smiled at Sara's reflection as she curled another strand of her hair. "What about you and Digg? Is it even up for discussion?"

Sara shrugged as paused momentarily from applying her make-up. "You know, John and I really don't need any of that…but I will admit…it would be nice… If only to feel like we have this tiny normal aspect of our lives…"

"You mean besides coming to work at Queen International?"

"Let's face it, YOU are the one who does most of the work there… Oliver and Tommy try to pull their weight, but you're the one who's really doing the most work. John and I are just around make sure there's nothing too crazy that happens and to do what needs to be done."

"It's a TEAM effort," Felicity told her. She stared at Sara for a moment and then turned back to their reflections. She was still and silent for a moment. "Oliver brought up having kids today…" she whispered. Felicity felt like she HAD to tell SOMEONE. Sara seemed like a good person to discuss it with, she felt like Thea would be too bias. There was also the fact that Sara was more like Oliver and she tended to have a perspective close to what Oliver would have…or at least that's how Felicity felt.

Sara was quiet and didn't answer right away. She seemed to think about it before finally speaking up. "Oh? And what came from that discussion?"

"I don't know," she said slowly. "I mean…yes, eventually…but I guess I just can't picture having a baby now… I can't see how that would fit into our world."

"You'd be a good mom, you know," Sara told her. "I can see it. Ollie would be a good dad… We'd all figure it out, make it work." She paused for a moment as she finished her mascara. "You can't stop living just because of Team Arrow stuff, you know that…"

"I know."

"So?"

"I just… I think I need time to really think about it," Felicity explained. "Is that silly? I haven't thought about it for a while and it just felt like we were starting to really have things where they need to be with Team Arrow, with Queen International, and with my marriage."

"No, it's not silly… Kids are a big deal… Things are different in all kinds of ways…"

"It just…the world seems so dangerous."

Sara nodded. "We're working on making it better."

"It doesn't feel like it's FAIR to bring a child into this world…not yet…and Oliver and I have so much that needs our attention—"

"You have time, Felicity. It's not like you need to decide tomorrow, right?" Sara questioned.

"Right," she whispered. Felicity sighed. "It was just a very unexpected conversation."

"Look at it this way. You're the FIRST person in Oliver's life that he's actually WANTED to initiate conversations like that…that's a huge step for him. Just be happy about that…"

Felicity smiled and felt a little more at ease. She knew that Sara wouldn't be bias and could easily be tactfully truthful. That's what she needed right now. With the dinner that they'd be attending tonight, she just needed a friend to talk to. She knew that dinner would be challenging and Felicity could hash all of this out with Oliver a different day after she had some time to really think about what she wanted.

"Is that why you were so upset this morning?" Sara asked after a minute.

"No," Felicity replied and looked over at Sara. "I think I just was overly emotional… It's probably PMS…" She was allowed to say that because she was of the female gender, the guys had learned early on not to ever bring that up as an excuse when one of them were rather moody. Roy was really the one who was still learning that.

Sara shrugged. "Well, you know I'm here if you want to talk."

"I know…and I appreciate it," Felicity told her as she finished adjusting her hair. She heard the front door and knew that Oliver and Diggle were there. Just in time, too, since they were done with the bathroom. Now they just needed to get into their dresses, which they'd put off until it was closer to the time they were going to leave. No need to be wrinkled. "Snack?"

"Are you sure you're going to be okay tonight?"

"With Moira?" Felicity questioned even though she knew that was what she meant. "Yes, I can be civil…and I'm sort of hoping that Walter is there… Plus, I'll have you and everyone else, right?"

"Right."

They packed up their make-up, brushes, and everything else they'd cluttered the bathroom counter with. "I'm still sort of surprised that Moira is making such a big deal of this dinner…"

"It's pretty much the first dinner she's having at her house since the wedding, isn't it?"

Felicity zipped up her make-up bag and stowed it. "Yeah, I guess…" Though they'd been having lunches with Moira, this was the first time they'd be having a big family dinner at the house since the wedding. Moira just hadn't invited them and Felicity just hadn't brought it up…and she was fairly sure that Oliver hadn't brought it up because he still wasn't sure how to take things with his mother. Thea was still angry, but Felicity knew…and hoped…that that anger would ease over time. Moira really was the only parent that Thea had left and really, she was lucky.

As they walked through the bedroom making their way towards the kitchen, Oliver and Diggle met them halfway. Kisses were exchanged and it was decided that Diggle was going to shower first, which meant that Oliver would be joining them for coffee and a snack for the time being. "So, we could play a game of cards while we wait," Sara suggested once they were all settling in the common area of the townhouse.

"Should I be worried about how long Digg's going to take?" Oliver asked and seemed amused.

Felicity started the coffee machine and pulled out some cookies. It really wasn't the best pre-dinner snack, but it was what Felicity felt like having. She grabbed one and started to eat it as she listened to Sara and Oliver. It was like it was just hitting her, exactly how much she DIDN'T want to go to Queen Mansion for dinner.

Sara laughed. "Well, he's alone in that shower…so it shouldn't take him long."

"There really IS such a thing as TOO much information," Oliver reminded.

"I think marriage has made you a prude, Ollie."

"Felicity?"

She was staring down at the cookies that she'd arranged on the plate that she'd set on the island counter. It wasn't until Oliver lightly brushed along her arm that she even realized that she'd zoned out. Now Oliver looked concerned and she really didn't know what to say, but luckily he spoke first.

"You okay?" Oliver questioned quietly.

"I was just thinking…"

"If you don't want to go…"

"No," Felicity said quickly and snapped out of it. She looked at Oliver and pushed a smile forward for him. "No… It's just… It's been a while since we've had dinner with your mom…at the house…and—"

"You're worried about how she'll act? Because I doubt she'll do anything with Melanie and her daughter there…"

Felicity ran her hand down his arm before he pulled her into a half hug. He pressed a kiss to her forehead and she knew that he really had to be worried about her. She was obviously having an 'off day'. "It's actually… I was thinking about Malcolm…" Her voice was so quiet that she wasn't even sure if Oliver would be able to hear her.

"You don't usually talk about him," he whispered after a long moment.

"I usually don't think about him," she admitted. "But…I mean, I know he was a horrible person…it's just in the end—"

"I know," Oliver interrupted. "In the end…he was a hero. He was your father and he was trying to be a better person…even after everything he did."

"But when we all first were allowed to be back in Starling City, he'd always make appearances at Queen Mansion…and then he and your mom would plot…" Felicity rambled. "It was horrible, but I don't know why that makes me miss him…"

"You've been wearing the bracelet that Thea made you for the wedding all week."

Felicity looked right at him, a little shocked that he'd noticed. It was Oliver, he noticed things, but she hadn't made a big deal of it and she didn't think that she'd been fidgeting with it. "I didn't think—"

"I didn't want to say something in case it was nothing," Oliver told her. "I figured that you'd say something when you were ready…or you'd talk with Thea or Tommy…"

"Thea's still pretty sensitive on the topic of both of her parents…" Felicity said as she shook her head a bit. "And Tommy… I… I honestly have no idea how he'd take me talking about Malcolm with him. He just finally seems like he's in a good place."

"There's always me," Oliver reminded. "You can talk to me about anything."

"Or me," Sara spoke up.

Felicity had nearly forgotten Sara was in the living room, she was sitting there on the couch waving at them. It really wasn't that odd for them all to talk about relationship stuff in front of each other. They were a family and though they had their problems here and there, there was definitely always someone that you could confide in. "I know," she said as she looked between them. "I think it just really hit me that he was on my mind… It just… It doesn't seem right to miss him…"

"I get it," Oliver told her quietly. "But it IS okay to miss him, Felicity."

She nodded and stared at him. Felicity was glad that their relationship was so tight, that they could talk about absolutely anything. There was something so reassuring that he seemed to understand, even though she really didn't. "I love you."

Oliver smiled at her, his hand cupping her cheek before he kissed her. "I love you," he echoed before placing another kiss on her lips. "Don't you ever forget that…"

"You guys are so cute," Sara commented.

Felicity smiled against Oliver's lips. Sara was so quiet, it was easy to forget that she was watching. She'd never been one to complain when there were public displays of affection, probably especially because she was often guilty of it. Blush rose in her cheeks and she looked to where Sara was sitting.

"What?" Sara asked. "It's a compliment." She paused for a moment. "You know, if you need me to leave the room…so you two—"

Oliver laughed. "No, no…"

Her face rested in the crook of his neck, blush heating her entire face. No matter how close they all were, there were some things that she still found slightly embarrassing. Mentioning her and Oliver's sex life was definitely one of those things. Plus, it was one thing to talk about that with Sara without Oliver here…but quite another with Oliver there.

"I was just offering!" Sara told them. "The shower stopped, by the way, might want to knock and see if John will let you shower while he gets himself dressed. We know guys don't take quite so long to get ready."

"You two aren't even dressed."

"The hardest part is done," Felicity told him with a smile as she straightened and motioned to her hair and face.

"You look beautiful no matter what," he told him before kissing her quickly and crossing the room towards their bedroom door.

Felicity smiled and moved to the couch with her coffee, settling in next to Sara. An arm wrapped around her and she rested her head on Sara's shoulder. "I think I'm having a day," she said aloud with a sigh.

"You're definitely having a day."

"How am I going to make it through dinner?"

Sara let out a light laugh. "Hopefully without killing your mother-in-law."

"Wasn't planning on it."

"Wowing your future sister-in-law?"

Felicity let out a sigh. Touchy subject. "The future sister-in-law and niece that can never know that they're that to me OR Thea?" she questioned. "I don't know what it feels like I'm cheated them… We're all so close…"

"Even without them knowing you're all related, you're still the wife of Tommy's best friend," Sara pointed out. "Plus, she'll just have to understand that we've formed our own little family."

"I know. It's still hard, though."

"You're going to make it," Sara assured. "Because we're going to be together…" There was silence that passed between them for a few minutes. "Though, she might be jealous of how hot we're going to look tonight…and our arm candy…"

Felicity couldn't help, but laugh. Sara hugged her tighter for a moment. She felt better. She knew that she wouldn't be alone, so there was that. Felicity had a feeling that once they were at the mansion that she'd be fine. It was just a bad day and she was going to get through it. Her whole family was going to be there, so if she needed a moment or something…someone would cover for her. It was an important night for Tommy, she knew that, she just didn't want to screw anything up.

"You know what we should do after dinner?"

"Crash?" Felicity offered.

"We should all stop and get ice cream and then come back here for movie night," Sara suggested. "It's been forever since we did that."

"Oliver and I were going to patrol after dinner," Diggle spoke up as he joined them, still tying his black bow tie. It was a black tie event, so everyone was going to be dressed up.

Sara sighed. "Of course you are."

Felicity sat up straighter and watched him. "We can't have ONE night off?"

"You can—" Diggle started.

Sara shook her head and interrupted. "Yeah, I'm pretty sure if you two go out, then Felicity's going to be worrying that we're not with you or at the Foundry in case you need back up."

"Roy might go?"

"You're not helping your case."

Diggle smirked and shook his head. "Don't have to worry about us."

Felicity looked at Sara and then they both looked to Diggle. "Didn't you all end up with holes in you and bleeding the last time it was just a guys' night?" It really wasn't a question because she remembered that night. She and Sara had sewn them up while Thea gave a lecture and Felicity had been thankful that Tommy hadn't been there. She swore that trouble was just better at finding them when it was all guys out.

"What's one more scar?"

"You know that they actually have a medical record of exactly what percentage of Oliver's body was riddled with scars after Lian Yu, right? I'm pretty sure over twenty percent is the number."

"It's still over twenty percent," Diggle teased.

Felicity glared at him for a moment.

"You guys can have a night off," Sara spoke up.

"But we were going to patrol," Oliver said, now joining the conversation.

Felicity swore that he and Diggle could shower, which was probably more like rinsing, and changed far too quickly nowadays, but it was something easily picked up she supposed. "Can't we wait and make that decision later?" she asked as she got to her feet. It was time for her and Sara to slip into their dresses and put on heels. No more walking around the townhouse barefoot. As used to wearing heels as she was, it was sometimes such a luxurious feeling to walk around without shoes on.

"It won't be for long," Oliver told her.

She didn't say anything more, but wasn't pleased about it. Felicity didn't want to fight, though. There was already enough emotional response from her today and she just didn't feel like she could deal anymore. She was more than ready for the day to be over. This was important though, their dinner with Tommy's girlfriend and daughter. There was no missing it.

Pushing the bedroom door open, she didn't even look behind her to make sure Sara was coming or to see if Oliver was following her. Felicity was just trying to focus on what she needed to get done and the time. They were on track, but they were going to need soon. Sighing, she unzipped the dress bag that held the dress she was going to wear for the evening, it was red and she loved the back of it.

"You okay?" Sara questioned once the sound of the door clicking shut sounded.

"Just frustrated…and tired," Felicity admitted as she looked back at Sara. She'd already seen her grey and silver beaded dress. It was beautiful and she couldn't wait to see Sara in it, it wasn't like Sara wore much in the way of dresses normally. Turning back to the dress, she started to strip down into her undergarments, tossing them into the hamper before unhooking the dress from the hanger after she'd unzipped it. Carefully, she stepped into it and found herself being zipped up. "Thank you," she whispered.

Sara, she saw, was just stepping into her dress. Felicity was slipping into her shoes and then checking to make sure that the dress laid correctly via her reflection. A moment later, Sara came up behind her and fixed her curls on one side, the side that she'd been resting on Sara's shoulder, and then smiled. "You look beautiful," Sara complimented.

"Thanks," she said and then turned to her. "Let me zip you up, so we can go…"

"Do you want a couple of minutes alone with Oliver before we go?" Sara questioned as Felicity zipped her up. Sara held her hair up and looked back at her over her shoulder. "We could head down to the car first."

Felicity sighed and was just thankful that she didn't look exhausted. Of course, make-up did help with that. "No," she finally replied. "We'll just have to figure it out later."

Sara wrapped an arm around her. "Well, then, we better get out hot selves out there and head over to make Melanie jealous."

Shaking her head, Felicity couldn't help but to smile in response. "Fairly sure that I really don't want nor need my brother's girlfriend to be jealous of me."

"It's still great fun," Sara told her with a grin. She guided Felicity out of the bedroom and Felicity just hoped that dinner went off without drama and hopefully with everyone loving Tommy's girlfriend and her daughter.

. . .

TBC…


End file.
